Drawingablank wrote:On Saturday we witnessed 2 very petite women struggling to haul a 5 gallon USG pee bucket to the jots. I suppose it never occurred to them to dump it daily. Or that the task would have been a lot less disgusting if they had put the lid on the bucket or not filled it nearly to overflowing.

LOL,Rookies!!!!

Why don't ya stick your head in that hole and find out? ~pieholePlan for the worst, expect the best. Make the most out of it under any conditions. If you cannot do that you will never enjoy yourself. ~CrispyDave

junglesmacks wrote:The porta potty banks on the open playa NEED TO BE LIT UP BADLY!! I looked for them had people asking me in the dark where they were, etc etc etc. We need lights or beacons of some kind on those suckers..

They almost always have a blue light about 20-25' in the at each end of the porta potties. (read my intro post?)

The way we differentiate them form other lights, is that they don't move. Almost everything that tall out in open playa is an art car, well art cars move. Even when parked art cars tend to sway as peopel get on and off.

Why don't ya stick your head in that hole and find out? ~pieholePlan for the worst, expect the best. Make the most out of it under any conditions. If you cannot do that you will never enjoy yourself. ~CrispyDave

Another thing learned is that glow in the dark paint and powder is completely useless on the playa.

After spending so much time, effort, and money making glow in the dark tees, bandannas, flag, and pants - none of it worked there. I suspect it was the dust coating everything, because it glows fine back in defaultia.

Savannah: I don't know what it is, but no thread here escapes alive. You'll get 1 or 2 real answers at minimum, occasionally 10 or 12, and then we flog it until it's unrecognizable and you can't get your deposit back.

Drawingablank wrote:On Saturday we witnessed 2 very petite women struggling to haul a 5 gallon USG pee bucket to the jots. I suppose it never occurred to them to dump it daily. Or that the task would have been a lot less disgusting if they had put the lid on the bucket or not filled it nearly to overflowing.

LOL,Rookies!!!!

Ummm Ewwwww ~ Insert holding nose smiley~

Burning Man isn't about the stuff you see when you get there ....it's about the people that brought that stuff there

Mojojita wrote:I learned that the medical care on the playa is top notch, and a grand example of what medical care should be in our country.

Did you get casted up right there on the playa??

Absolutely. Ambulance from camp to med tent, x-rays, x-rays sent to Reno and read by Radiologists, results transmitted back to med, casted me, sent me on my way at no cost. Within 45 minutes!!!!! Would not have even been seen in 45 minutes in a default ER.

Turnip wrote:Wow, makes me wish I would have went to the Medicamp when my UTI/Kidney infection came back in full force. But I was embarrassed and thought I'd get the "Sorry, nothing we can do for you here."

Made going to the bathroom an even more unenjoyable experience. A few times I almost didn't make it to the potties in time, and always scared to go out of view of the potties.

Back in the day (when I was working ESD and REMSA had the contract) you couldn't get prescriptions filled. Now apparently you can. Of course with the UTIs you can always drink cranberry (vodka/cran or Cape Codder--same thing really) to raise the acidity. I dunno if it actually helps, but as my doctor reminded me a few years ago, women got over UTIs before antibiotics.Was that rambling and disjointed enough?

The Lady with a Lamprey

"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri

From what I read in an earlier post on this (one of FoxFur's posts I think), you still can't. They can write the prescription for you, but you'd need to take a trip into town to have it filled.

theCryptofishist wrote:Back in the day (when I was working ESD and REMSA had the contract) you couldn't get prescriptions filled. Now apparently you can. Of course with the UTIs you can always drink cranberry (vodka/cran or Cape Codder--same thing really) to raise the acidity. I dunno if it actually helps, but as my doctor reminded me a few years ago, women got over UTIs before antibiotics.Was that rambling and disjointed enough?

JKhttp://www.mudskippercafe.comWhen I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle.Then I realised that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me.

Maybe. I think it was possible in later years with REMSA, but that was a while ago, and when I no longer interfaced (lovely word) with ESD. So, the services shift and not always in ways that I find predictable.

The Lady with a Lamprey

"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri

I make it a point to have a "sprain back" before I go on a long trip. Today I spent time at the local dollar tree and built my Medical bag. Still a few things needed, but it is a standard military map case stuffed with everything from ointment, bandaids, eye drops, anti-imflammatories, etc.. I am not a medic, but if there is one near by, I will probably have everything they need.

Do NOT fall asleep wearing all your pretty baubles and schwag necklaces. I did this and woke up with a ring around my neck...hilarious rope burn type mark all around my neck from the necklaces rubbing against the playa dust as I moved around in my sleep. It was funny but painful for a few days. It sorta looked like someone took a red Sharpie and drew a circle around my neck. Cracked me up.

Another "one thing" I must share that helped me out a lot that my friend helped me with:

The bandanna you wear as a dust mask can help keep you warm at night by flipping it around and covering the back of your neck, which loses a lot of your body heat when exposed. I was very surprised by just how much warmer I felt doing that even with some thing piece of cloth the bandanna is. Works well to cool your body too if you dip it in water.

"The essence of tyranny is not iron law. It is capricious law." -- Christopher Hitchens

I learned that it is a lot easier to get hundreds of burners to tow a giant trojan horse than I ever imagined.

graidawg wrote:is there some kind of secret about ice cream on the playa. It seems everybody else had some! right next years theme is bring ice cream for English people in top hats!

Yes, come to my camp! I built a bike that churns fresh ice cream as you ride around the playa. Love to hand it out on the playa its always a HUGE hit. We ALWAYS make a stop at boobie bar. People always ask me why a HUGE bag of salt is always on my packing list. A ice cream corporation has asked me to demonstrate it for them now, that's kinda funny to me.

Dustdevil wrote:I learn lots of thing every year, but one item really stood out this year. I learned that ExpressoDude is one hard working, never say quit, don't stop until the job is done type of a guy. He worked with the Black Rock FX team on the Trojan Horse. He brought his SO and the two of them contributed a great deal to that project. We were faced with several adversities and the team managed to work through them all. He never once complained or slowed down. OK, maybe around dinner time he slowed down a little, we all did. We had a small team as most of the BRFX crew were at the Flaming Lotus Girls show. He worked well with the pyro team as well as the demolition/burn team. His ideas and creativity helped make the burn what it was. Black Rock FX would welcome ExpressoDude back on any show we produce.

Jack

Same goes for Jack and the rest of the Black Rock FX team. You made our horse burn better than we ever imagined!!!!! It was great to work with you again and look forward to the next time, whatever that may be mwahahaha

I think i have gone way over one thing learned one the playa this year. so? Another thing I learned on the playa this year. MyDearFriend is the finest of people, she made it possible for me to totally relax at any given moment. Provided everything. I was worried before i went about what i had forgetten. thanks to MDF i could have turned up with the t shirt and coat she mailed to me and the boots i wore all week. I wouldn't have got burnt, hungry, dusty (spray bottle showers are the best!) or thirsty. She even bought me a cup from the dusty swan (which was handy because i did actually forget mine).Doc pyro provided the perfect camp for excitable virgins - a nice public space for adventure when you are too tired to go exporing, camp mates who are welcoming friendly and cool. Moonrise for putting me in barbie death camp in the first place and being the best date you ask for, random and exciting adventures in parts of BRC i would never have found.Mr potatomoto (or however its spelled for coming and hanging out in the morning i liked that - also for taking my stuff back after my misundersatnding woth the parafin (breath out NOT in)Mel, for being mel (and other things)I could keep this going for ever, every person I met added to my experience at BM Random for being called random, my friend back here wil laugh his ass off when i tell him i met a random guy called random. Thank you all

FREE THE SHERPASBurners with torches is right and natural and just.-fishy.CATCH AND RELEASE.

J.R. Watkins Natural Apothecary Hand & Body Lotion Lemon Cream.....this stuff is amazing! The lemon in the lotion neutralizes playa alkaline. I put it on my feet in the moring and then a liberal dose at night with a pair of clean socks when I went to sleep. I've had issues with my feet in the past but this year they were awesome! They sell it at Walgreens for $9.00. I'm going to go buy a couple of bottles now in case they go out of business before the next Burn!

The most apparent thing I learned this year (aka my royal virgin facepalm moment):

Bring a cup with you, WHEREVER YOU GO!

For some reason, this tidbit wasn't screamingly apparent to me until I went adventuring monday evening. Then it very much was. Fortunately, I'm decent with backrubs and was able to barter for some solo cups.

Next year? Something with a clip on it. Anybody know how well those pewter steins hold up? I'd hate to MOOP one of those because the handle wasn't strong enough to stay clipped to my backpack.

"TO DO IS TO BE" - Nietzsche"TO BE IS TO DO" - Kant"DO BE DO BE DO" - Sinatra

ibdave wrote:Well, I learned On Eplaya Today: Not to camp with bunny-boiler....

That is something we both learned. I also learned, maybe its not a great idea to tell everyone in the world where you camp is.

Why don't ya stick your head in that hole and find out? ~pieholePlan for the worst, expect the best. Make the most out of it under any conditions. If you cannot do that you will never enjoy yourself. ~CrispyDave